Process of treating crude petroleum



physical properties i 15 Amarilla Patented Aug. 25, 1931 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY T. BENNETT, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA PROCESS OF TREATING CRUDE PETROLEUM:

No Drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in the heating of crude petroleum, and, particularly to the treatment of crude petroleum for improving the flowing ability at low temperatures. It comprises a process for treatment of crudepetroleum with a soap of such character and amount that the crude petroleum which would ordinarily be solid at low temperatures is rendered fluid.

Crude petroleum varies in composition and depending on the origin.

ome crudes flow-readily at 0 F. while others become solid atrelatively low temperatures.

, For example. a crude such 'as-that from the field is solid at 60 F. or below. Purchasers and producers are frequently confronted with adiflicult problem of handling such a crude which has become solid at low temperatures. The usual methods heretofore were to wax or other solid material becomesmelted or to dilute the solid crude with a more fluid p sample.

I have can be rendered fluid and retained in a fluid condition by the addition of a small quantity of soap. The nature and'quantity of the soap depends upon the properties of the crude petroleum, and to obtain the best results these factors may beaccurately ascertained by experiments.

In practicing my invention the crude petroleum may be treated cold or hot, preferably hot, with a desired uantity of the given p, rated into the oil. Or, a better method is to first commingle he soap with a vehicle comprising a suita carrier (such as a petroleum product having a higherflnitial boiling point than the crude), the resulting product then incorporated with 4 the crude petroleum to be treated.

In actual operation I have treated an -A arilla crude petroleum which became so id at F. with 0.1- per cent aluminum stearate and "thus rendered it capable of flowing at temperatures as low as 0 13. A proximately the same results have been 0 tained by using iron or zinc soaps intead of aluminum stearate.

' Application filed July 22, 1926. Serial No. 124,300.

heat the crude until the" discovered that crude petroleum the soap being thoroughly incorpole quantity of a hot or cold Without quoting further'examples here, I will point out the flexibility of the invention and, instead of limiting myself to specific soaps, include all soaps of the nature of the above, whether they be mono, di, or tri-basic and whether produced by the saponification of an animal or vegetable fatty acid. It is also understood that I do not limit myself to a specific amount of soap, for this varies with the nature of the crude petroleum and the character of the soap. t

Also, I do not limit myself. to. crude petroleum in the sense that it is the crude-oil as received from theground, but, in certain cases, the crude petroleum may become weathered in storage orby partial distillation (sometimes calledtopped crude petro-- leum) so that in the following claims. the term crude petroleum will be used as embracing the entire class as herein described. .Recognized procedure for determining our points is provided in Technical Paper 3238. U. Government Sp c'ification No. 2d, Department of Commercefublication, U. S. Government Master Specification for Lubricants and Liquid Fuels and Methods for Sampling and Testing, on pages 40 and 41 of which; is set forth procedure for pour point.

Iclaimz -1. The process which comprises lowering the pour point of crude petroleum by commingling with said crude petroleum, a minute quantity of soap capable of lowering the pour point of the oil in amount sufficiently low to render the product capable of flowing at low temperatures. without. substantially affecting the viscosity of the petroleum.

2. The process which comprises lowering the pour point of crude petroleum by commingling with the crude petroleum a minute quantity of aluminum stearate in amount suflicientlylow to render the product capable of flowing at low temperatures without substantially aflectingthe'viscosity of the petroleum. I

3. The process which comprises lowering the pour point of crude petroleum by commi'ngling with the crude etroleum a quantity of aluminum soap capa le of lowering the pour point of the oil about .1 per cent by weight of the crude petroleum and thereby rendering the product capable of flowing at low temperatures without substantially affecting the viscosity of the petroleum.

' 4. The process which comprises lowering the pour point of crude petroleum of a type which becomes solid at 60 F. by commingling with. said crude petroleum approximately 0.1% by weight of a metal soap capable of lowering the pour point of the oil and thereby renderlng the product capable of flowing at 0 F.

5. The process which comprises lowering the pour point of crude petroleum by commingling with said crude petroleum a minute quantity of a metal soap capable of lowering the pour point of the oil in amount sufficient ly low to render the product capable of flowing at low temperatures without substantially afi'ecting the viscosity of the oil.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto afiix my signature.

HARRY T. BENNETT 

